City service workers to be clad in yellow

CORTLAND -- Within a few weeks, residents should have an easier time identifying city service department employees. City council has approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Don Wittman, city service director, to buy shirts, jackets and sweat shirts for his agency's 10 employees. The uniforms will be purchased from Warren-based United Safety Authority for $2,180. Wittman noted that even though his employees carry identification, they have been wearing civilian clothing while on the job. The new outfits will "give them a higher visibility in the community" if, for example, they are performing their duties in someone's back yard or other locations where they might not be easily recognized as city workers. The uniforms will be mainly a safety yellow to better identify the service workers, Wittman added. The clothing should arrive within two to three weeks, he said. The duties of the service department include removing snow from about 40 miles of primary and secondary roads, reading residential water meters and maintaining six wells along with the city's sewer systems.